Overhead Powerlines (Hansard, 13 November 2000)

§ Miss McIntosh
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received concerning overhead powerlines; and what recent research his Department has undertaken on this subject. [135794]

§ Yvette Cooper
A number of letters have been received from Members of Parliament, research organisations, pressure groups and individual members of the public, concerning the possibility of health effects associated with proximity to power lines.
The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) provides advice to us on these matters. In 1992, and again in 1994, the NRPB's Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation examined the evidence for an association between the incidence of cancer and exposure to electromagnetic fields and concluded that there was no clear evidence of an adverse health effect at the levels of electromagnetic field to which the public is normally exposed. There have been continuing concerns about this issue and the Advisory Group keeps the relevant research under review. The Group will be publishing a comprehensive review of the more recent studies in the next few months.

§ Miss McIntosh
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has recently commissioned on the possibility of a connection between overhead powerlines and cancer. [136429]

§ Yvette Cooper
The Department is currently funding both epidemiological and laboratory studies on powerlines and cancer. The Department also contributes to the World Health Organization International Electromagnetic Fields Project and has supported the United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study.
In 1992, and again in 1994, the National Radiological Protection Board's Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation examined the evidence for an association between the incidence of cancer and exposure to electromagnetic fields and concluded that there was no clear evidence of an adverse health effect at the levels to 562W which the public is normally exposed. The Advisory Group continues to monitor the issue and will be publishing a comprehensive review of recent research in the next few months.